Publication

This paper examines the power of the US Congress in the decision-making process that leads to a declaration of war. More specifically, the author examines 1) the legal framework that defines the role of the US Congress in war-making; 2) historical examples of its authorization of the use of military force and the problems involved in such authorization; and 3) The War Powers Resolution, enacted in 1973, and the difficulties involved in the interpretation of war powers. The author also examines congressional debates on the war powers that the different branches of government have in the US, with a particular focus on the debates that took place over US involvement in Libya in 2011 and Syria in 2013.